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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAÃº

March 30, 2017

Nick Kyrgios

Miami, Florida

N. KYRGIOS/A. Zverev

6-4, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What is your take on the episode in the sixth game of the third set, the first point when eventually he got the break and you called the challenge?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I mean, it was a bit of a mixup. I was kind of waiting for the call almost. Yeah, I thought I might have challenged to a bit too late.

In saying that, I don't feel like at stage of the match the referee can possibly miss that call. I can understand if I challenged that ball and it's in then it's a bit ridiculous, but it wasn't really close, was it? I didn't think it was close at all.

Obviously I didn't feel too good about. I knew that the challenge was a bit late. I didn't feel great. Obviously Alex is a good friend of mine. See him getting a bit frustrated to the umpire, and can all be avoid if the umpire just watches the line he was supposed to call.

What frustrated me of the most was the fact that he was laughing about it after that game had finished. I didn't find it funny and obviously Alex didn't find it funny.

It was a tough situation. Obviously not the way I wanted to win the point. The ball was ultimately out., challenged a bit late, Alex is a bit frustrated, and I don't feel so good. I mean, ultimately the ball was out and wasn't really close.

Q. So you just said that Alex is your friend outside of the courts. Does it influentiate in any way during the match? As you said, you didn't feel so good because you knew that he was frustrated. Did it touch your head in any way?
NICK KYRGIOS: I mean, it didn't obviously affect the way I was playing, but I have a lot of respect for him. I have a lot of respect and he has a lot of respect for me. I think we're going to play each other a lot of times, a lot more times, and we see each other nearly every week.

I feel that that's a relationship that we have to keep pretty civil and be respectful towards each other. That didn't really affect me, the way -- I mean, our friendship.

When we're on the court we both want to win. We both understand that we're both competitors. Doesn't really affect the way we play.

Q. Federer next. What challenges does he present and what will it take to win?
NICK KYRGIOS: Obviously he's the greatest player of all-time, but the way that he takes time away from players, that's his strength. He likes to play his pace of tennis. He likes to take away time and play aggressive.

He obviously like to play really aggressive on return. Likes to get through his service games very quick. Serve and volley. I know what's going to be coming. I've played him before.

In saying that, he's playing incredible at the moment. He's had a great year. Obviously coming back from injury last year and winning the Australian Open, winning Indian Wells, he obviously looks very healthy and is moving very, very good.

I'm not going to think about it too much at the moment. I got a whole day ahead of me where I can sort of just relax. I'm going to not do anything big. I'm going to serve big and play big. That's my gamestyle that I've had success with, so that's what I'm going to bring.

Q. What do you think it will help you mentally to win Miami? Now that you're in the semifinals you have a real chance. What do you think it would do for you mentally to win this title?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't know if my chances are great to play Federer and possibly Nadal, two of the greatest tennis plays of all-time. Made semifinals last year and I thought my chances were probably better. Yeah, I mean, I'm not thinking ahead at all.

I was supposed to play Federer last week in Indian Wells. Unfortunately caught a virus. I'm just excited to go out there tomorrow and give it my best shot. If it's good enough, it's good enough; if it's not, it's not. Then we focus on Davis Cup the next week.

I am not thinking ahead. I would being foolish to be thinking ahead past Federer. He deserves a bit more respect than that.

Q. Roger said earlier when he was young and young on the tour he was playing against players he saw and watched on TV. How much did Roger have an impact on you? Did you watch him on TV? Did you say, Wow, I want to be like him?
NICK KYRGIOS: I don't think I ever wanted to be like Roger. Obviously when I played juniors, even before that when I was playing tournaments, under-12s, under-14s, I would be seeing him on the TV all-time on the advertisements playing.

It's pretty surreal for me still. I was watching GaÃ«l Monfils on TV. I went to Jo Wilfried Tsonga's practices when I was 12 years old. So it is still pretty surreal to see those guys in the locker room and me being next to them in the locker room, playing them, beating them.

Yeah, I mean, Roger, I mean, it was only four years ago where I was watching him on TV. I mean, yeah, it's a weird feeling obviously being out there and competing against him. Yeah.

Q. So we enjoyed today's match a lot. It's really fun match. It's nice to see friendship and rivalry between and you Sascha. Is it fun for you to play against him, and how do you see the future rivalry between and you him?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, it's a lot of fun. I was all in today. I knew from my warmup I had to get a good warmup in. I respect his game. He's beaten some of the best players in the world. I know that I can't bring 75% or 80% of my game. I have to bring 100%. That's what I did it today and I got over the line.

As I said, we're going to play a lot more times. And he's only going to get better. He's 19 years old. So I've got a couple years on him as well.

That just makes it -- I got to get better as well. He's going to continually make me better.

Q. What was it like actually playing that match? Watching it certainly looked like a rollercoaster. There were some amazing points played by both of you. To be in the thick of it, what did it really feel like?
NICK KYRGIOS: To be honest, it felt good. It just felt like we were both competing as hard as we could. I thought we both served like really well today.

I didn't feel like I could get on his serves as much as I did in Indian Wells. I thought his first serve was much better this time around. I mean, I noticed a couple things today. He's a great athlete and moves very well.

Honestly, in the match I wasn't thinking about anything but just competing and trying to work him out tactically.

Q. One other thing. You were flexing the left knee. What's the situation? Did you jar it?
NICK KYRGIOS: Yeah, I was going back for a smash and just slipped a little bit. Yeah jarred it is actually a pretty good word. I've had problems with my left patella pretty much my whole career. It's always been niggling.

It feels fine now.

Q. I don't know if I'm going to be allowed to ask if you have any strategy or you're thinking of it for your next game against Federer.
NICK KYRGIOS: Just serve big and play big.

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